Street-sweeper.



No. 675,56l.

. Patnted lune 4, |90l. J. M. HARR. STREET swEEPER.

(Application tiled Sept. 6, 1898.)

3 Sheets-Sheet l.

(No Model.)

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J.'M, HARR.

v STREET SWEEPEB.

(Application iled Sept. 6, 1898.) (No Model.) 3 Sheets-Shoot 2.

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No. 675,561. Patentad lune 4, |90I. J. M. HARR.

STREET SWEEPER.

(Application med sape. e. 189B.)

3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

(No Model.)

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" or dirt-collector with its door open. Fig. fl-

iilniirnn Strains PATnNT OFFICE.

M. IIARR, OF WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.

STREETHSWEEPER.

EPESIIFICATXCN forming part of letters Patent No. 675,561, dated Tune 4, 1901. Application filed September 6, 1898. Serial No. 690,296. (No model.)

connected with the axles of the aforesaid wheels. A rotary brush F is journaled in the free forward ends of parallel bars G, which are pivotally connected with the wheel-axles.

I will now proceed to describe details. The frame A is constructed of small light gas-pi pe, so that it may combine lightness and strength in high degree. The Vertical side portions l (see Fig. l) are provided with forbward extensions 2, having suitable diagonal braces 3. The said vertical portions l are not connected at the top, (see Fig. 11;) but at a lower pointa cross-tube esubserves that purpose. At a point just above the Wheels B the frame A is bent inwardly, and the portion 5, which depends therefrom, is approxi- I mately U-shaped. lVithin this portion 5 is su pported the dirt-receptacle proper, C. The same consists of a bag formed of a suitable coarse fibrous material which is attached to a funnel-shaped rim or hopper 6. The latter is preferably oval-shaped, as shown in Fig. 2, and is rigidly secu red to the side portions l of the frame A. Its lower edge is provided with a bead or projection, and the bag proper is provided with a draw-string, whereby it is adapted to be temporarily secured to such lower portion of the hopper 6 and to be conveniently detached therefrom as occasion requires. The lower be left free or unsupported; but it is preferable it should rest on a flat base consisting of a disk or plate 7, that rests upon the horizontal portion of the U-shaped frame 5. From the eenterot such horizontal portion a tube 8 extends rearwardly and carries a vertical arm i), to which a small wheel lO is journaled. Said wheel runs on the street-surface or pavement and serves to support the frameA in due position, which is approximately vertical.

All the above-described portions of the frame are formed of tube sections or lengths, which are suitably connected by elbow and T joints an d sleeves or plain couplings,which are suitably screw-threaded for the purpose. The rotary brush F is constructed in a Wellknown manner. Pulleys ll are keyed on the ends of its axis l), and crossed belts 13 run thereon and also on larger pulleys 14, which are keyed on the short axles l5 of the transporting-wheels B. Thus when the machine is pushed forward rotation will be imparted To @ZZ 707mm/ [t /Lf//y/ concern: I

Be it known that I, JESSE M. IIARR, a citif Zen of the United States, and a resident of l lVashington, in the District of Columbia, have made certain new and useful Improvements in Street-Sweeping Machines, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact specification.

The object of my invention is to provide an improvement in that class of street-sweeping machines which are adapted to be propelled by one laborer and to automatically take up dirt and `deposit it in a suitable receptacle carried by the machine.

The details of construction and operation of parts are as hereinafter described.

In the accompanying drawings, (three sheets) Figure l is a side view of my improved machine, showing a certain adjustment or relation of the bucket or dirt-collector to the other parts of the same. Fig. 2 is a plan view. 2, 2b, and 2C illustrate a modification, Fig. 2a being a side View of the rear ends of the bucket and brush frame bars connected as in use and Figs. 2b and 2C being perspective views of such ends of the bucket and brush frame or bars, respectively. Fig. 3, Sheet 2, is a perspective view of the bucket is a perspective view of the same, the door being closed and the bottom open for discharging the contents. Fig. 5 is a detail vertical section on line 5 5 of Fig. 4i. Fig. 6 is a perspective view of a portion of the door of the bucket. Fig. 7, Sheet 3, is a diagrammatie side view showing the bucket elevated. Figs. 8, Q, and l0 are plan views of the clutch and clutch-operating mechanism whereby the bucket is automatically raised and lowered. Fig. ll is a rear view of the machine. Fig. l2 is a side view, and Fig. 12?L is a perspective view, showing the slotted rear end ot' the bucket-frame connected with an axle of one of the transporting-wheels.

Referring in the iirst instance to Figs. l and 2, it will be seen that an approximately vertical frame A, having a rear extension a, adapted to be grasped by the'workman, is supported bytransporting-wheels B and that the dirt-receptacle proper, O, is arranged between said wheels. The automatic bucket D is pivoted between the outer ends of parallel bars E, which are slidably and pivotally portion of the bag might through the brush F in the direction indicated by the arrow in Fig. 1.

rlhe bucket D is constructed of galvanized iron or other material. lt has an elongated rectangular form and swings free from the cross-tube 16, whose ends are pivoted in the front end of the frame E. The bottom 17 of said bucket is hinged at 18 and provided with side wings 17', (see Fig. 3,) which overlap and are parallel to the ends proper of the bucket. Such wings 17l areV provided with arc-slots 19, which receive the hooked ends of catches 20, that are pivoted to the ends of the bucket and have elongated bevel-Shanks to adapt them to be automatically tripped by means of cam projections 21, attached to the inner side of the frame E. 1n Fig. 3 the catch 2O is shown locked with the wing 17 of the hinged bottom 17, and the latter is therefore supported in its normal position. In Fig. 4 the cam 2l has tripped the catch 20, and thus unlocked and released the hinged bottom 17, which ailows discharge of the contents of the bucket. Such cam engagement, release, and discharge occur when the bucket is elevated to the position shown in Fig. 1. A pin 19 works in the slot 19 and limits the downward movement of the hinged bottom 17. The bucket D is further provided with an automatic slidable door 22. (See Figs. 3,4, 5, and 6.) The same consists of an elongated rectangular plate having vertical legs23 attached to its ends and adapted to slide vertically in keepers 24, formed on or attached to the inner side of the bucket. lVhenthe bucket is lowered to the position shown in Fig. l, the legs 23 rest upon the street-surface, and the door 22 is thereby held elevated, as shown in `g. 3, so that dirt and other refuse may be swept into the bucket by means of the brush F. When the bucket is elevated, as shown in Fig. l, the said legs being no longer supported, the door 22 falls automatically, and thus keeps the contents of the bucket from escaping prematurely. When the bucket descends to its former position, Fig. 1, the legs 23 strike the pavement and the door is again elevated, as before.

The means for elevating and lowering the bucket D will now be described. Cords 25 are attached to the front end of the frame E and run over pulleys 26 at top of frame A, also over pulleys 27 on the sides of said frame, and wind on pulleys 28, which are mounted loose on the short axles 15 of the transporting-wheels B. vSuch pulleys 28 are toothed on their inner sides, and thus adapted to lock with correspondingly-toothed surfaces 29, affixed to the inner sides of the wheels B. (See especiallyFigs. 8, 9, and lO.) The surfaces 29 rotate with the wheels B, and the engaging teeth are pitched in such direction that when the pulleys 28 are locked therewith, as shown in Fig. 9, they must rotate in the same direction as the wheels. The pulleys 28 have flanged hubs 30, which are loosely engaged with a sleeve 31, which is actuated by trip mechanism in such a manner as to throw the pulleys into and out of engagement automatically. The means for effecting this are the following: The cords 25, which elevate the bucket, are provided with knots 32, (see Figs. 8, 9, and 11,) which are suitably located to come in contact at the right time with the triplever 34. The latter is pivoted to the frame A and has a pendant 34a, whose lower end is provided with a longitudinal slot for receiving a stud or pin 35 of the sleeve 3l. It will be seen that the sleeve 31 has a lengthwise slot 3G, the upper side of which is provided with a notch, whereby said sleeve is adapted to engage the stud or pin 37, fixed in the axle 15. Thus when the sleeve 31 is in the position shown in Fig. 9 the pin 37 automatically engages the notch in the aforesaid slot 36, and thereby holds the clutchpulley 28 locked with the clutch-surface 29 on the adjacent wheel It is manifest that while held in this position the pulleys 28 will wind on the cords 25, and thereby elevate the bucket D. When the bucket has reached the required height, the knots 32 of cords 25 strike upon the triplevers 34, and thereby throw them into the position shown in Fig. 10, in which movement the pendent arms 34 of said levers first tilt the sleeves 3l, so as to disengage. them from the studs 37, and then slide them backward, whereby the clutch-pulleys 28 are released from engagement with the clutch-surfaces 29. By this means the clutch-pulleys 28 are left free to rotate, and the bucket descends to its former position. (Shown in Fig. 1.) In further explanation of the operation of the clutch mechanism, or rather of the means for locking it, l will state that the inclination of the slot in the arm'34 is highly important in function, since friction with the pin 35 on the sleeve 3l is increased beyond that which would occur if the slot were vertical, and in consequence of such friction the inner end of the sieeve,which has a very loose engagement with the hub 30 of pulley 28 and is also quite loose IOO on the axle 15, is thereby tilted sufficiently to f clear the pin 37 and allow the sleeve to move backuntil said pin reaches the inner end of the slot, as shown in Fig. 10. It will be further understood that when the bucket descends just before it reaches the pavement the knots 32 of cords 25 strike the trip-levers 34,and thereby throw the sleeve 31 and clutchpulley 28 back into the normal position, (shown in Fig. 9,) and the pulleys 28 thereupon immediately begin to again wind up the cords 25 and elevate the bucket as before.

As shown in Fig. 1, the rear ends of the frame E are provided with lengthwise slots 38, and as shown in Fig, 12 the rear ends of said slots have an upward extension, which adapts them to receive about half the thickness of the axles 15. In order for the brush to properly coperate with the bucket B, it is obviously necessary that the latter should be in as close proximity to the brush as practicable, and such due proximity is obtained IZO when the frame E is slid back on the axles 15 until the latter reach the forward ends of the slots 3S. (See fulIlines, Fig. 7.) Atsuch time the door 22 of the bucket D is held elevated, as shown in Fig. 3, by reason of its legs 23 resting upon the pavement. Hence as the machine is pushed forward the dirt, tbc., in front of the brush F is pushed forward into the bucket D. The latter is only momentarily in the position shown by full lines, but long enough to allow the dirt to be swept into it. It then immediately begins to ascend by reason of the winding of the cords 25 on the elutchpulleys 2S, as before described, and the frame E turning on the axles l5 the bucket swings upward through an arc of, say, eighty or eighty live degrecs, and the tension on the cords 25 being still continued the bucket and frame E are elevated still further until the axles 15 pass into the enlarged end portions of the slots SS before described, at which moment the cams 21 (sce Figs. 3 and et) on frame E come in contact with the trip-catches 20 on the ends of the bucket D, and thereby cause the automatic release of the hinged bottom 17, whereupon the contents of the bucket discharge by their own gravity into the hopper G, and thus into the bag attached thereto. At this instant the knots 32 trip and release the clutch-pulleys 28, as before described, and the cords 25 being thus relieved of tension the bucket D descends by its own gravity to the position shown in Fig. 1. It will be seen that it is necessary that the bucket and frame E should be drawn upward to the full extent above described in order that the bucket may clear the hopper in its descent. In order to insure due enga-gement of the rear ends of the slots 38 in frame E with the axle 15 when the bucket is elevated, as shown in Fig. 1, I may employ aspring 30, (see Fig. 12,) which is coiled about the axle and so arranged that one end thereof presses downward upon the frame E. When the bucket has descended to the position shown in Fig. 1, the axles 15 should be released from the enlargements of the slots 3S, so that the brush F may move forward into due proximity with the bucket, and for this purpose I attach a rigid forwardly-bent arm -10 (see Fig. 12) to the axles 15, and the latter being fixed to the vertical frame A it is apparent that the workman may disengage the axles from the enlarged portions of the slots 3S, whereupon he pushes the frame forward and the axles slide along the slots.

Recapitulating briefly the operation of the machine, the workman pushes the same forward contin uously,and the brush is therefore continuously rotating to collect or roll up in front of itself a body of dirt and other matter, which is pushed into the open mouth of the bucket D, and the latter then ascends and automatically dumps the contents into the dirt-receptacle C, whereupon it falls rap idly back to the position shown in Fig. l, and

the brush being advanced into due proximity thereto it receives another load, and again ascends and dumps as before. It will be understood that while the bucket is making its ascent and descent the brush F is operating to collect another load for the same. Thus the operation of the machine in brushing, collecting,and dumping goes on continuously and automatically.

rlhe brush F may be provided with a sheet metal hood, as shown, to protect it from dirt, the., falling from the bucket D when being dumped.

It will be seen, Fig. 1l, that the portion 5 of frame A which lies between the wheels B is narrower than that portion composing the partsl. Such expansion of the upper portion et' the frame provides d ue space for the funnelshaped hopper G and enables the bucket to be made of about the salue length as the space between the wheels.

'lhe stub-axles 15 may be screwed into sockets formed in the vertical portion of the lower portion of the frame A; but I propose to employ any suitable form of attachment. It is obvious that wires or small wire ropes or chains may be substituted for the cords 25, and I propose to make various other changes or substitutions in the machine as judgment or experience may suggest. Thus in place of using the spring 30, Figs. 12 and 2, for holding the bucket-frame E in due engagement with the axles 15 when the bucket D is elevated, as shown by dotted lines, Fig. l, I may employ the parts shown in Figs. 2, 2"), and 2C, in which 4:1 is a solid quadrant fixed to the end of the frame E adjacent to the rear enlarged portion of slot 38, and a pin 4t2 is fixed on the extended upper end of each brush-bar G in such manner as to ride on the arc of the quadrant el when the frame E is raised, and thereby hold the latter engaged with axles E.

That I claim is- 1. An improved street-sweeping machine, comprising a wheeled frame having parallel sides and a connecting bottom portion, a dirtreceptacle resting on such bottom a rigid funnel-shaped hopper arranged in said frame, a rotary brush and a bucket adapted to be opened on the side adjacent to the brush, and means for automatically raising and dumping said bucket substantially as shown and described.

2. A street-sweeping machine comprising a brush a wheeled frame having a rear extension adapted to serve as a handle for propelling the machine, stub-axles attached to the sides of the frame, large transporting-wheels mounted thereon, a small transporting-wheel journaled in a rear extension of the frame and afunnel-shaped hopper arranged between the side port-ions of the frame.

3. An improved street-sweeping machine comprising a main frame having two opposite transporting-wheels, a second frame adapted to swing vertically on the axis of said wheels,

IOO

IIO

abucket, or dirt-collector, pivoted and carried at the outer end ot' such second frame, and having an opening on its inner side, cords attached to such bucket and passing over the main frame, and mechanism for alternately winding on and letting off said cords, substantially as specified.

4. In a street-sweeping machine the coinbination with the transporting-wheels and frame of clutch-pulleys and automatic trip mechanism for carrying them into or out of engagement with said wheels, a rotary brush, a bucket pivoted in bars which are hinged on the frame and cords connecting said bucket with the clutchpulleys and `provided with projections adapted to act on the trip mechanism for automatically shifting the clutchpulleys substantially as shown and described.

5. In a street-sweeping machine the combination with the frame and transportingwheels, of the clutch-pulley for winding up the cords that elevate the bucket, a sleeve adapted to slide on the axle and loosely engaged with the clutch-pulley and a trip-lever which loosely engages said sleeve that is pivoted in such manner as to adapt it to automatically shift the sleeve and thereby carry the clutch-pulley into and out of engagement substantially as shown and described.

6. The combination with a frame of transporting-wheelshaving a fixed clutch, a clutchpulley mounted slidably and rotatably on the axle, a slidable sleeve which loosely engages said pulley and is provided with a slot having a notch as specified a stud or pin fixed in the axle and adapted to engage said notch and atrip-lever adapted to tilt the said sleeve on the axle as required to engage it with and disengage it from the said stud or pin, as required for locking or unlocking the pulley substantially as shown and described.

7. In a street-sweeping machine the combination with the bucket, a rotary brush, a suitable frame, wheels mounted on the latter clutch-pulleys adapted to lock the said wheels, cords attached to the bucket and winding on said pulleys, trip-levers pivoted to the frame and connected with said cords, pendent portions of said levers having an inclined slot as specified, a sleeve which is slidable on the axle and loosely connected with said pulley, also provided with a lengthwise slot having a notch as specified, a stud fixed in the axle and ladapted to enter said slot and notch substantially as shown and described, whereby when said lever is tripped the sleeve is tilted and unlocked from said stud and then slid endwise for releasing the clutch-pulley as specified. v

8. In a street-sweeping machine, the combination with main frame and its transporting-Wheels, ot' the supplemental swinging frame E pivoted and slidable on .the axis of said wheels, the bucket, or dirt-collector, pivoted to the outer end of such supplemental frame, and having an opening in its inner side, an automatically-closable door for such opening, a rotary brush arranged in front of the wheels, and means connected with the latter for operating said brush reversely, to force dirt into the bucket when moved up to the brush, substantially as shown and described.

JESSE M. HARR.

Witnesses:

SoLoN C. KEMON, J. MIDDLETON. 

